Salty ice block shows promise for clean energy in harsh environments.
For centuries, ice was viewed as a passive substance, offering nothing more than cold and stability. However, an international team led from Barcelona has discovered that adding salt to ice transforms it into a unique electric generator with various applications.
Ice, once considered inert, has now become an unexpected energy source. When deformed, pure ice was found to produce electricity through flexoelectricity, although at low levels.
The breakthrough came when scientists introduced sodium chloride at 25% concentration, resulting in ice multiplying its electricity generation capacity by a thousand compared to pure ice. This discovery has positioned ice as a viable material for advanced electronics and new energy harvesting technologies, particularly in extreme locations.
The potential applications of salty ice are vast, including low-cost sensors, devices in glaciers, and platforms in polar regions where traditional technologies struggle to survive. Despite losing efficiency after multiple cycles, salty ice offers advantages like abundance, affordability, and minimal environmental impact.
Furthermore, understanding how salty ice generates electricity could have implications beyond Earth, potentially shedding light on electrical processes on Europa and their impact on habitability. This experiment with a common material may lead to an energy revolution, offering promising clean technology solutions for the future.
